- Meta-Analyses are systematic reviews that employ a quantitative method to summarize results
- A systematic review is defined as 'a systematic approach to literature reviews (published and unpublished material) that reduces random errors and bias'.
- A critically appraised topic (or CAT) is a short summary of evidence on a topic of interest, usually focused around a clinical question. A CAT is like a shorter and less rigorous version of a systematic review, summarizing the best available research evidence on a topic.
- Randomized Controlled Trials assess a variable (i.e. drug or treatment). Subjects are randomly assigned to a treatment or control group, in order to minimize bias.
- A cohort study or panel study is a form of longitudinal study (a type of observational study)
- A case control study compares patients who have a disease or outcome of interest (cases) with patients who do not have the disease or outcome (controls), and looks back retrospectively to compare how frequently the exposure to a risk factor is present in each group to determine the relationship between the risk factor and the disease.
- A case report is a detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. Case reports may contain a demographic profile of the patient, but usually describe an unusual or novel occurrence.
- Background information and expert opinion include textbooks and other reference tools. It can be said that crowd-sourced material, such as Wikipedia, corporate websites, and professional blogs can be included on this level (or lower).
Sources: Booth, A. & Brice, A. (2004). Evidence Based Practice for Information Professionals: A Handbook. London: Facet Publishing.
Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library (2011). Study Design 101. Retrieved from https://himmelfarb.gwu.edu/tutorials/studydesign101/index.html (changes include condensing definitions)
Galvin, J. (2003). Critically Appraised Topics: Introduction. Retrieved from http://www.otcats.com/intro.html
